C7 The poachers

Humans were the most fragile creatures on the Aurelian continent, they were also the cruelest, greediest and most selfish creatures on to ever exist. No matter how beautiful humans portrayed themselves to be, most creatures tend to avoid humans and some even associate them with demons, the scene in front of him was an example as to why they did that.

The hunters In front of him held weapons filled with blood and looked down at a dying beast as they laughed. It was a fire wolf, although it was a low level beast, it was one of the few beasts that could reproduce without a male and its core was medicinal and it could be sold on the black market, but since its core was surrounded by flames one couldn't extract it till the wolf died.

But that wasn't the problem, hunting is done all over even he himself has participated in hunts but they just hunted a soul beast. İt was the very first thing every child is taught 'protect the soul beast and hund the demonic beasts' it was basic knowledge.

Unlike demonic beasts, soul beasts were tamer and didn't attack indiscriminately so hunting of them unless it was for the sole purpose of forming a contract was illegal.

He then spotted another wolf pup behind the men. They probably planned to sell the pups on the black market since selling of pups is illegal in the empire because they get weak mentally without their mother's support and grow rabid. But some nobles like to keep them for sport.

"Damn it we lost one, Shira is going to get angry ," one of the men said.

"Stop talking and start parking, we can't let the other one run too,"

"It's still young it couldn't have gone far I could try and find it," the other said.

"I said stop talki…"

As he was talking an arrow passed him slightly grazing his cheek and embedding itself on the tree behind him.

"İ apologize the two of you were making so much noise I couldn't help but want to see what you were doing," Circe said as the guard beside him pulled out another arrow.

The men seemed to tense up before slowly relaxing.

"It's just a kid and a low level guard, we can deal with them, and look at the kid's hair, it reminds me of snow and his eyes look like blue gems how unique, maybe if we bring the kid to the Shira she may forgive us for losing the pup," one of the men says with a greedy look as he took out his dagger but before the man could hold the dagger well an arrow was shot past him knocking the dagger off of the man's hand the force causing him to bleed.

"You little shit do you know who you are messing with," the man asked enraged.

" No, would you like to enlighten me,"

Just then the ground started shaking vigorously, suddenly the guards held him by his hand and jumped behind before the ground on the point they were standing collapsed.

They both turned to the other man's companion, he was an earth elemental. The ground stated to shake again and it was messing with the aim of the guard. They need to be closer, but that would mean leaving Circe behind which was a danger in itself.

"Let me handle one," Circe said seeing his strained look, "Take care of the other,"

The guard simply stayed next to him not moving an inch.

"Look, I may not seem like it but I am ver strong," he still wasn't budging, " And also I wasn't asking, It's an order," he said and the guard finally moved with gritted teeth.

"Last warning kid, stay still and I will let you keep an arm," the man said with an ugly smile.

"But I don't want to," said with a pout.

" Then we'll make sure you literally scream your lungs out before you die,"

"That's an interesting torture method," he said looking directly at the man who could have sworn he saw his eyes glowing but quickly dismissed the idea because you need to be very proficient in your control of power for your mana to physically manifest into a beast like creature that is seen through the eyes of the person. The person before him was obviously less than twenty years old so theoretically that was not possible.

As he thought that the man charged towards him and threw a fire ball at Circe who extinguished it before it could reach him, before the man could make his next move, roots shot out from underground came up and tangled themselves around him, he tried to struggle to get free but he felt them becoming tighter. His ego was still intact, he still had the stupid thought that since he was a fire mage mere weeds shouldn't be blocking him and holding back. But he slowly began to notice that he couldn't move or even use his power. He looked up and noticed that his opponent was smiling,, the smile looked innocent but it sent shivers down his spine and his movements became frantic but the vines didn't budge.

"Good job boy," he said patting the vine which move obviously happy, he then turned to the man, "The more you struggle the tighter they become."

Circe said as he left him hanging and walked towards where the other wolf pup was hiding and picks it up by the neck. He looked down at its dead mother and felt slightly sorry for them. He bent down and used a blade and sliced the wolves chest open and took its core which was located below its heart and placed it in his bag, even though their mother was dead the pups still needed its energy, he could use the core to supply them with energy.

As he was getting ready to carry the little beast back he noticed that the surroundings were too quiet. A shadow appeared above him causing him to reflexively throw the blade towards the owner of the shadow before turning around and moving a step back.

He stood stunned as he watched the blade freeze in midair before slowly melting, he narrowed his eyes and watched defensively as the man approached him, he was covered in a cloak, probably one that covers aura because Circe hadn't sensed him till he was near.

The man paused, then looked at him, he took off his cloak and Circe stopped stunned as look at the familiar blind folded man.

"Adorjan?"

That explained why their was no commotion after that much noise.

"I finished work early and decided to join you…I didn't expect you to find trouble so fast," he drawled.

Circe looked behind him and saw Riau and the guards behind the duke had an obvious frown. Great now he's hated even more.

"I apologize ," he said with a small bow.

"I know of your trouble seeking tendencies so I will pardon you this time, it is your first and last warning. You should know that if you cause trouble in the capital during the period of the hunt it will be treated as treason even for you who acts as the queens shadow and you facing treason will bring serious issues for me and we wouldn't want that now would we?"

"No,"

"Yes, mind your self you have a duty please act in line with it till you are released of your duties,"

Shouldn't he be thanking him for stopping an illegal trade. Circe though a little bit angry.

As if reading his mind the duke asked.

"what do you want?"

"Hm?"

"You stopped something illegal, you must want something,"

"Oh…right I want him," he said pointing at a small figure of a boy who was at the forest entrance. He was the one who was being beaten previously but had now been left alone.

"You could have had anything but you choose a peasant," the duke said as he waved his finger and a guard came from behind and walked towards the boy.

"Wait, don't touch him," Circe shouts and the guard looks at the duke for affirmation who nods before he stepped back.

"What is it?" the duke asked.

"Look behind his ears," the duke looked at the boys ears and noticed some white scale like substance spreading towards the boys neck. İt would be nearly impossible for a normal person to spot what he was pointing but elemental have senses a hundred times better than normal.

"Isn't just Egia, why did you stop him,"

"Egia is an infection caused by backlash of magic and the patches are usually a dusty white but this this is creamy white and looks like a scale,"

"So what are you trying to say?" the duke asked and he sighed.

"I don't want to cause any alarm but do you remember Dier the weed like plague?" he asked and the dukes face immediately changed. The scale like feature coupled with the familiar smell are what attracted him to the boy the first time now seeing it again he was eighty percent sure.

"That name is taboo," thee duke warned. It was a taboo if not reason to talk about the plague in the kingdom. It was an uncomfortable topic and no one wanted to dwell on it, they had every right not to. Dier plague was a plague that would eat mana in elementals and vitality in people with no mana latching on a person like a leech till the person died. It spread through out the empire wiping out a third of the population, it was devastating, Disease was hard to destroy and it left a shadow in many of the people.

"I'm not trying to scare you but you should check. This boy looks like a servant from a noble family, if his sickness spreads to nobility it could be bad," he said, he could be wrong but the scale like patches look exactly as what is described. If it's true then they need to take action immediately and the noble house concerned needed to be isolated and examined.

"I'll send a professional to look at it," the duke said.

"You…Riau was it?"

"Duke," she bowed.

"Get up, and follow one of the guards to the castle and bring one of the doctors to examine this," he said. İt was fascinating, he trusted his servants. Circe was led into the carriage where he saw an unfamiliar woman sitting inside. She had noble air around her, one could tell that she was an important person.

"This is my mother," the duke introduced and he bowed immediately.

"Duchess."

"No need for the formalities," she waved and Circe sat down wondering why she had not said it before he bowed.

"You are one of the eight consorts, the famous beauty of meruthia," the duchess said and he restrained his eyes from rolling.

The beauty of meruthia was a nickname given to him after the king decreed for him to be the shadow of the queen. People visited the village to see him cause to those not conserned he was a contender for the queens seat not a shadow for the true queen to be.

"Yes your highness,"

"So the rumors aren't false, you are an ice like beauty," what's with her and his face, if he could he would burn it off. He tried it before hoping the decree would be nullified, but it healed for some reason.

"Thank you duchess, your beauty is also enviable, you look so young and stunning,"

"Awe, what a darling thank you," she said smiling.

"Are you joining the hunt tomorrow," she asked after a while

"The king ordered all the nobles and the eight consorts to attend, he may use this as the first test for queen. The kingdom does need a strong queen," the duke said. He used consorts and not shadow so the dowager duchess must not know about it.

"Prepare well you can not what the pysco… King will chose," the duchess said

"Will keep that in mind mother," he answered as the carriage came to a halt.

"I will take my leave now," Circe said creeped out at the way the duchess was staring at him.

"Lets have tea sometime," the duchess said him.

"I'll wait for the duchesse's invite," he said walking away being led by Riau into the castle.

"You've scared him away mother,"

"He is an interesting child,"

"He deliberately caused trouble and the guard next to him was stupid enough to believe it was an act of service,"

"He probably wanted to know how much power he had and how much his title can protect him ,"

"I know…

"He is very powerful," the duchess said to Merikh once Circe was out of hearing range.

"Hearing that from you means his power must be beyond normal," the duke said to her.

"Well, I thought you were the only monster of your age, turns out there could be another. Let's just hope he is not as ruthless as his brother or worse… his mother."